


Save Tonight

by kzam



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death In Dream, Multi, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-02-22 09:49:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22980853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kzam/pseuds/kzam
Summary: In which soulmates dream of each other's last few living hours when they come of age, and Cloud's not sure he can take it anymore.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart, Angeal Hewley/Genesis Rhapsodos/Sephiroth, Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 133
Kudos: 549





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I probably should wait before posting more fics but I can't help it right now! I need more Clack in my day to day.

It happened again.

He woke up panting, hot tears pouring down his face as he grasped helplessly at his chest. The way his heart was aching was almost unnatural, and he was sure it might finally give out on him. A person could only wake up like this so many times before the pain was too much, surely.

How many more nights could he take like this?

Dreams were supposed to be a beautiful thing. That was what he had been taught his entire life. They were sacred hours spent with their soulmate, whether they had formally met or not. It was a person’s chance to glimpse into the future and bear witness to an event that would help define their entire relationship.

Dreams were a window into their soulmate’s last few living hours.

Everyone on Gaia had a soulmate—a person they were destined to meet, who they would be irrevocably bound to in a way that transcended love. When a person was of age, they would start to see snapshots in their dreams. Little glimpses into how their soulmate’s life would end. It usually took a few years to piece it all together, making each night something to look forward to. The chance to unlock another piece of the puzzle.

Would their soulmate die naturally in their arms? Would they be happy? If they were unhappy, was there something that could be done differently in life to change that outcome?

That was how most the stories unfolded, after all. A happy pair, dying in each other’s arms. Most people sought the comfort of their dreams for that very reason—a chance to be with their soulmate before they had even met. It was supposed to be a peaceful moment in time.

For Cloud, there was nothing he feared more than the night.

\-----

When Cloud was old enough, the first thing he did was leave Nibelheim.

Every instinct in his body was telling him to go to Midgar—to follow his personal dreams. The problem was, he wanted nothing to do with his _dreams._ Not if they lead to all the horrific things he saw every night. The gunshots flashing behind his eyes. A strong arm pulling him down, pressing his head against a wounded chest. Blood dripping down his face that wasn’t his own.

_“You’ll be…my living legacy.”_

Fuck. No, he would _not_ be anyone’s living legacy. Not if it meant watching his soulmate die while he just sat there not doing a thing to help. His heart ached at the very thought—he couldn’t imagine it happening in reality. There was just no way.

What was wrong with him, anyway? The dreams never went back far enough for him to be certain. All he knew was, his soulmate seemed to be on the run with him. Taking care of him. It was almost like he was comatose as he watched the events unfold, helpless to raise a finger against their enemies.

The whole thing was impossible to understand. All he knew for sure was, if he couldn’t do anything to help his soulmate in the future, maybe he could do something _now._

“Cloud,” his mother warned, seeing right through him when he told her he was going to go live in Rocket Town of all places. “This isn’t something you can run from.”

“I have to save him.”

“And you can. You have to work together though—you have to find out about his dreams.”

“I can’t risk that,” Cloud insisted, shaking his head adamantly.

Whoever his soulmate was, they were better off not meeting. Not if their time together would lead to such a disastrous ending.

\-----

His soulmate died in a fire this time.

Cloud could almost feel the heat of it as he shot up from his bed at the Rocket Town inn, sweat drenching his body as he tried to piece it all together. It was kind of a blur, but he was sure he recognized where it had happened.

That fire…

It had been in _Nibelheim._

\-----

Bone Village was his next stop, figuring nothing could go wrong in such an out-there location. Somehow the fire dreams kept happening though.

\-----

He’d gone to Costa Del Sol next. No change.

\-----

Gold Saucer wasn’t any better.

\-----

Cosmo Canyon had been interesting, but his dreams remained.

\-----

Gongaga had almost felt like home somehow, but the flames behind his eyes only seemed to spread more rapidly there.

\-----

A full year of traveling Gaia had led Cloud to two definite conclusions.

One; if he stayed in Nibelheim, he would somehow meet his soulmate and watch the guy get gunned down by ShinRa’s army.

Two; if he went anywhere else on the Planet, his soulmate would die in a fire that would also consume his entire village.

Leave it to Mama Strife to be right. Running away wouldn’t solve his problem.

\-----

Midgar was the only logical destination when all else failed, but that didn’t mean he was stupid enough to walk right up to ShinRa Tower and ask to see the SOLDIER directory.

Hells, he didn’t even know his soulmate’s _name._ The uniform, the eyes…that was all he knew for sure. Enough to assume his soulmate was indeed a SOLDIER. Enough to assume ShinRa Tower was the last place he wanted to be. At least until he was sure something would change this time.

“Cloud…”

He was sitting on a stool at some bar where his oldest friend worked, not even old enough to drink. Luckily she always humored him, allowing him to frequent the place since she was literally the only person he knew in the city.

Tifa had left Nibelheim around the same time as him, but her first and only destination had been Midgar. Why, she hadn’t said, but he could only assume it had something to do with her own soulmate.

Soulmate dreams were something of a private topic in Nibelheim, even among close friends. His own mother was the only person who knew the details of _his_ dreams, and that was only because she had to been the one to comfort him when he woke up crying out in tears back when it all first started. How many nights had he awoken his poor mother, screaming out nonsensically like he had been the one gunned down?

All Cloud knew for sure about Tifa’s soulmate was that they hadn’t met just yet despite the time his friend had spent in Midgar.

“You have to sleep eventually,” Tifa warned, though she placed another cup of free coffee in front of him. “It’s not something you can run from.”

“I know. I already tried running.”

“Did they change—the dreams?”

Cloud shook his head dismally. “Not for the better.”

“Mine were different while you were traveling.”

“Why would anything I do impact your dreams?” he asked, frowning.

“It’s complicated,” Tifa responded, fixing him with that same look—one she sometimes gave him that hurt his heart.

It was like she could understand exactly how he felt at times. The depth of sadness in his heart every time he woke up from that nightmare. Every time he saw it, he wanted to ask her _why—_ what it was that happened that was so painful for her? But he knew all too well that wasn’t something so easy for a person to talk about.

“Are they different now that I’m here?” he wondered.

“They’re back to normal.”

Cloud’s frown deepened. If his own were back to normal, then he was no better off than he was in his travels. “I think I’ll stay up another night.”

Three days spent in Midgar, and he hadn’t dared to sleep once. The fires behind his eyes had been brutal enough. Reverting back to a time where he sat idly by while his soulmate was gunned down…he wasn’t sure he could take that right now.

\-----

Eventually he fell asleep. There were only so many days and so much caffeine before it was inevitable, and honestly, he was pretty sure Tifa was plotting to hit him with a Sleep spell if he didn’t doze off on his own soon anyway.

It was the strangest thing when it finally happened.

He dreamt of _nothing._

“Cloud!” Tifa exclaimed the moment he walked into that bar the following day, throwing her arms around him in a way that caught him off guard. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve sworn she was crying which made no sense. “What happened?”

“What do you mean what happened? I had the best night sleep in—”

“You weren’t there,” she cut him off, shaking her head into the crook of his neck. “When she dies—you’re _always_ there. It was someone else this time.”

“Someone…else?”

“I don’t know who he was. He was holding her though—my soulmate,” Tifa explained in a hurry. “Why weren’t you there?”

Cloud just patted her back, a bit helpless to explain. He had no idea what she was even talking about. No idea who her soulmate was, or how she died. “I’m usually holding her when she dies?”

“Every time. She’s already gone by the time you get to her, but…you’re close, Cloud. You mean a lot to her—to me. What happened to you?”

Cloud just kept holding his friend, not entirely sure. There was only one person who would know his fate, and it wasn’t like he could call the guy up and ask. He still didn’t even know his soulmate’s name.

“Everything’s okay, Teef. I’m okay,” he reassured her, which only made her hang on a little tighter. “The guy in your dreams…what did he look like?”

“He was a SOLDIER. Dark hair, a cross—”

“Shaped scare on his left cheek,” Cloud finished, swallowing hard as she finally pulled back and looked at him with curious eyes. “That’s my soulmate.”

“Why is he taking your place in my dreams?”

“Because whatever I’m supposed to do when I get to Midgar, I’m not doing.”

There was only one logical conclusion to draw from that, and he shook his head before Tifa could protest or scold him for it. Apparently he was on track to die before his soulmate this time around.

He could live with that.

\-----

There were probably a lot more rational ways to react to years and years of dreams suddenly taking a bizarre turn, but frankly, Zack was _pissed._

What the hells had happened?

One night his soulmate was dying comfortably in bed when the time came, and the next…He shook his head, still trying to blink the thoughts from his mind. It made no sense. And all he could do was watch. Never in all his life had he felt so damn helpless.

It was like he had been a prisoner somehow, trapped in a tank or something while some jackass killed his soulmate right in front of his eyes. A scientist, maybe. It had all happened so quickly, and he had only seen it once so far. He’d probably have to relive it all week before he fully understood what it was he had seen.

It had definitely been a lab of some kind, but not like the ones he had seen in ShinRa Tower.

“Zack,” Angeal called out, planting a firm hand on his shoulder as he tried to piece it together in his head one more time. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“It changed, Ang. Last night…”

“Your dreams?” Angeal wondered, raising a brow when Zack gave a small nod to confirm. “I thought you said your soulmate dies naturally.”

“He did. Every damn time, he did.”

Except the last year, maybe—but those were strange dreams. It was like the whole world went black that year, and he hadn’t known what to make of that. A lot of people had reported similar dreams though, and they’d been told not to worry. That it was just a lapse in the fates. There was no other explanation for so many people suddenly having the same exact dream of nothingness. Not unless the entire world ended, but that was ridiculous.

“With Genesis?” his old mentor confirmed, prompting another nod. “Zack…did you ever wonder why your soulmate died with one of mine?”

“C’mon, Ang. I’m not stupid.” There was really only one explanation for his soulmate dying in the arms of another man years and years later—Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis didn’t need to share the details of their own dreams for him to understand. “It means we die first.”

Otherwise their soulmates would never have needed to find solace in one another. He liked to assume Genesis and his soulmate had become friends over the years—that they had leaned on each other after whatever happened ended up happening. Whatever that friendship turned into, he couldn’t be sure just from the dreams alone. All he knew was, they were in each other’s arms whenever it happened.

It had always seemed so peaceful.

“It’s quite possible his dreams haven’t always been as pleasant,” Angeal reminded him, brows furrowed. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I don’t end up—”

“Ang!” Zack exclaimed, scowling at his mentor. He knew enough from the way Genesis had literally _attacked_ him the day they met, like the very sight of him was a threat. Sephiroth too—even to this day when he could call both men friends, they still gave him looks from time to time like he had wronged them somehow. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”

“You don’t. You save me, Zack.”

“Screw that! I already told you, whatever it is they think I do to you, it’s not happening,” Zack insisted, shaking his head adamantly. “Just like this shit with my soulmate, it’s not happening either.”

“He was probably thinking the same thing.”

“What did he do, then? How’d he change it?”

“Instinctively, he knows what he needs to happen. What he _wants_ to do.”

“And he’s trying to do the opposite.”

Angeal nodded. “To save you, I would assume.”

Zack’s heart broke all over again in a way he hadn’t been prepared to handle, and he found himself cursing his stubborn soulmate. Why would he change things? Sure, Zack may have died first, but he was _okay_ with that. His death meant his soulmate would live out a happy life. There were worse ways to go, surely.

“Spike…” Zack muttered, losing some of the heat from his anger.

Gaia, he wished he knew how to get in touch with the guy so they could talk about this. If they could just meet, they’d figure it all out together somehow.

“Spike?”

“It’s not like I know his name,” he shrugged absentmindedly. “Didn’t you tell me you and Gen had given Seph a nickname before you met him, too?”

“I’ve heard it,” Angeal told him slowly, the unspoken offer lingering in the air. “When I see Genesis go, he mutters something.”

“I doubt it’ll help me find him.”

In a city like this, there were dozens of Zack’s. Unless Genesis happened to mutter the guy’s first _and_ last name, it would only get him so far. And that was assuming his soulmate was even in Midgar. He could be anywhere, realistically, and if he was trying to fight their destiny then it would make sense for him to be somewhere very far away.

“It’s a unique name. Something you might hear in a mountain village.”

Zack quirked a brow. “A mountain village?” There couldn’t be _that_ many of those out there. “What is it, then?”

“Cloud.”

“Cloud…” Zack repeated it again, finding he liked the way it sounded on his lips. “Hey, Ang?”

“Yes?”

“If my dream changed last night…did yours, too?”

“Yes, it did.”

Zack raised a brow, waiting just a beat before he realized Angeal wasn’t going to say it. “C’mon! What is it?”

“I’m not certain. Everything was just…black.”

Black. That same nothingness he had seen for an entire year before he finally started dreaming again last night. What the hells did that _mean?_

\-----

Angeal, Sephiroth, and Genesis had alternating dreams—the perks of having _two_ soulmates. They typically alternated every other night with little variance, but there were days that the sequence wouldn't quite match up. More often than not though, it was very routine.

Needless to say, Zack was awed when Genesis pulled him into his arms without a single word spoken two days later. He just stood there awkwardly, patting the guy on the back as he waited to discover what had prompted such an uncharacteristic embrace.

“I did it this time. I killed Angeal.”

_“What?”_

“All these years, I blamed you, but now…How could I?” Genesis murmured, holding on just a little tighter. “Sephiroth wouldn’t even look at me this morning.”

“Gen…it’s not your fault. It hasn't even happened yet!”

“I killed him. How could it not be my fault?”

“Ang said it over and over—I was _saving_ him,” Zack insisted, though he had never personally understood what the hells that meant. Instead he preferred to believe he just wouldn’t let it happen, period. “Maybe you're gonna save him instead.”

“Why did it change?” Genesis huffed, pulling back and eyeing Zack critically. “Angeal mentioned yours may have as well. What happened?”

“I don’t know. Usually Cloud dies with you, years and years from now.”

“And now?”

“He dies in some lab,” Zack sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Ang said he’s prob’ly trying to change it. That he didn’t like what he saw with me.”

“Have we ever told you how Sephiroth passes?”

“Uh,” he paused, thinking it over before realizing, “No.”

“He’s usually killed in combat by a young man—one I never recognized. Angeal insisted he had seen this man before though. It took him some time to piece it together,” Genesis explained slowly. “He’s not a young man in Angeal’s other dream, you see.”

“Wait…are you saying Cloud kills Sephiroth?”

“Yes.”

“My soulmate kills _Sephiroth?”_ Zack repeated, eyes blown when Genesis nodded again. “And somehow he ends up with you?”

“So I’ve been told. I don’t see my own death in my dreams.”

“Everything changed though. If Cloud dies early, how does Sephiroth die?”

“That’s the strange thing,” Genesis responded. “I'm not certain he does."

“He doesn’t die?”

“It doesn't appear so."

“How’s that even possible?”

“I suspect it’s because he wins.”

Well, shit. What did _that_ mean? Something about the look on Genesis' face told him the redhead couldn't quite answer that question yet either.

“We need to find Cloud—he’s the key to all of this.”

“Yes, it would seem he is. I already have the Turks working on locating his whereabouts. I've told them he's a person of interest for one of my missions.”

“You don’t get to meet him before I do,” Zack huffed.

“I don’t intend to. When I have his location, I’ll pass it along to you. All I ask in return is that you bring him to us so that we can work this out together. Our fates are entwined, it would seem.”

"You're not gonna give him a hard time, are you? Like you did with me?"

Genesis scowled. "I've watched him kill Sephiroth hundreds of times now and you expect me to greet him with a smile?"

"Damn right, I do. We're gonna save him—we're gonna save _all_ of us!"

He wasn't sure how or when or what would have to happen, but Zack was a man of his word if nothing else. Whatever the price of freedom was, they'd find a way to pay it together to get their happily ever afters.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fair warning. There may be little nods to the Remake in this fic, just like there are nods to CC and the OG. You'll know it when you see it, but if you haven't played, it'll be easy to just read over like it's nothing. Nothing major.
> 
> Thank you for reading, as always!

Cloud was all but kicked out of Tifa’s bar after he refused to budge on his stance, and not because Tifa was mad at him. She was concerned, clearly. If he kept up with his new routine, who knew what that meant for his fate? It seemed like he may not be welcomed back until her dreams changed again, and that was something he wasn’t willing to allow.

If being there when Tifa’s soulmate died meant watching his own soulmate die a gruesome, early death…he just wouldn’t do it.

So he made a new routine for himself. Or at least, he tried. The problem was, he had to eat. Gaia forbid his new fate was starving to death on the streets of Midgar—no, he didn’t mind dying early if it meant his soulmate lived, but he wouldn’t go down like _that._

He needed a job.

“It’s nothing personal, kid.”

Yet another refusal. It seemed times were hard in Midgar, and most places just weren’t hiring or wouldn’t pay what he needed to get by.

“I can deliver packages,” he offered.

“Why would I pick you when I can have anyone else to do it for half the price?”

“Because any _kid_ can’t fight off half the shit that wanders into this place, and you know it,” Cloud insisted, gesturing to the sword on his back. He’d picked up more than a few skills during his travels, and was confident in his ability to hold his own in Sector Seven. “Think of me like a mercenary, except I’ll bring your packages with me when I clear the paths.”

“Two jobs for the price of one,” the shopkeeper hummed thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. “You sure you’re up to it?”

“I’m capable.”

He didn’t need military training to understand what it meant to survive here. Growing up in Nibelheim had trained him enough, the local creatures always lurking in and around town. Hells, he’d had a sword in his hand before his tenth birthday. Maybe he wasn’t a SOLDIER like his soulmate, but that didn’t mean much around here.

It wasn’t like he’d be fighting anything too extreme in the city limits.

“We’ll give it a test run. You heard about the trouble in the mines?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you know what I need. If you can clear that place out, I’ll hire you.”

“Deal.”

They didn’t shake on it—Cloud was already on his way out the door, ready to get it done.

\-----

It was a done deal after that first day.

Cloud had cleared out the mines pretty easily, securing his very first job in Midgar. Nothing about life in the city was as glamorous as he had imagined growing up, but he was okay with that. It seemed like Midgar was only a nice place for those who worked for ShinRa, and he'd given up on that idea long ago.

Apparently he would have been a shitty SOLDIER anyway, if the uniform he was wearing in his dreams all those years meant anything.

His dreams. He shuddered at the memory, letting out a trembling breath as he reminded himself they weren’t real. Not anymore.

Everything was going according to the new plan. His dreams had been blank for weeks now, and he had never slept better. For the first time, it was like he didn’t have to be afraid about what might happen if he shut his eyes for too long.

Life had never been better, even if it wasn’t what he wanted it to be.

“This one’s going to Sector Five,” his boss told him, gesturing to a very large, very awkward package on the counter. “There’s a church. Should be easy enough to find—it’s the only one.”

“A church?”

“You know the drill.”

Right, Cloud nodded. No questions. He just brought the packages from point A to point B, removing any obstacles that stood in his way. It wasn’t like this one would be any different.

At least, that’s what he told himself as he headed there. He only had to ask one person about the church before he was sent in the right direction, finding the place without issue. It was rundown, but it was definitely a church.

He kept his hand on his sword as he stepped inside, feeling oddly anxious. His boss didn’t mention any monsters on this run, but there was an _itch_ under his skin. It was like he knew something was about ot happen.

“Hello?” he called out hesitantly, raising a brow as he looked around.

 _Rundown_ was an understatement, but the place…somehow it was beautiful despite it all. He found himself drawn further in, blinking away an eerie feeling of familiarity as he eyed what appeared to be a flowerbed.

There was a girl kneeling in front of it, praying maybe. After a long pause, she opened her eyes, finally looking up at him.

_What the hells?_

They’d never met, but he could swear he knew her somehow.

Naturally, she eyed him with suspicion. “Who are you?”

“I’m delivering a package,” Cloud responded, offering it to her without even checking her name. Something just _told_ him she was the one—Aerith, apparently, as it was listed on the delivery slip. “Here.”

“Oh! Thank you so much!” the girl smiled brightly at him, her suspicions easing as she unwrapped the awkward package without delay. “This should work.”

“Wheels?” Cloud asked, raising a brow.

“For my cart. I sell flowers,” she explained, gesturing to the flowers behind her. “My friend…well, it’s a long story, but he nearly destroyed them when we met. He promised to make me a cart to make up for it. He’s the one who sent these.”

And so she needed wheels. The pieces clicked together, and while it really had nothing to do with him, Cloud found himself nodding along with unnatural interest. “Does he know they’re arriving today?”

“He should. He told me he’d be back soon to put it all together for me.”

“That’s nice of him.”

“He’s the best,” she agreed easily. “Even with his missions, he always finds time to come see me.”

Cloud blinked. “Missions?”

“He’s a SOLDIER.”

 _No, no, no._ The familiarity. The comfort he felt here? It was all making sense now, and he needed to get the fuck away before it was too late. There was no way he’d let the fates trick him so easily.

“Well, good luck with that,” Cloud told her, meaning every word even as he spun around with every intention of leaving.

“Wait!” Aerith said, reaching for his arm before he could turn to leave. Before he could blink, she was offering him a single yellow flower. “For you. I know it’s not much in terms of payment, but—”

“I already got paid,” Cloud assured her, waving off the flower politely. “Your friend must’ve left gil with my boss.”

“Take it anyway.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” Aerith admitted, eyeing him thoughtfully. “It just feels like…you’re supposed to have it.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Then don’t say anything. Just take it.”

Maybe it’d make a nice apology gift for Tifa. He hadn’t tried to force his way back into her life, knowing how she felt about seeing him right now—something just told him she’d really like this though, even if she wouldn’t speak to him when he gave it to her.

“Okay,” Cloud agreed, smiling despite himself as he accepted it. “Thanks.”

“His name’s Zack.”

“What?”

“My friend. His name Zack Fair, and he’s a SOLDIER.”

Cloud raised a brow, his heart hammering away in his chest. “Why’re you telling me that?”

“I just thought you should know.”

Zack. It was like lightning in his veins as he repeated the name over and over in his head, knowing damn well why he felt that burst of energy. Her friend was definitely his soulmate.

“What’s your name?” she asked slowly. “Mine was on the box—it’s only fair you tell me yours.”

“You already know,” Cloud guessed, and he knew he was right when she didn’t even blink. “Please don’t tell him I was here.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not ready to meet him. Not yet.” Not _ever,_ but something told him not to say that to her. She looked innocent enough, but his gut was telling him she wouldn’t take any shit from him—or from anyone, for that matter. “I need to do this on my own terms.”

“I understand, but Cloud…” Aerith shook her head. “He’s not the type to give up so easily.”

“Midgar’s a big city. He won’t find me.”

“Fate brought you here.”

“It won’t bring me here again.”

“No, but maybe an invitation would,” she suggested. “Whenever you’re ready—you’re always welcome here. I can call him and make all the arrangements.”

“That’s not a good idea.” He turned to leave before she could stop him this time, only stopping in the doorway as she shouted out to him.

“The dreams—they’re not what you think.”

“He gets shot down right in front me,” Cloud muttered, somehow knowing she would hear him still. “It’s better this way.”

“That’s not the dream I’m talking about. The darkness? There’s nothing peaceful about it.”

“What’re you talking about?” Cloud asked, chancing a glance over his shoulder.

“I see it, too. Every night,” Aerith told him insistently. “The whole Planet goes dark.”

“So?”

“That can only mean one thing. You’re not _that_ stubborn, are you? You’d let the entire Planet be destroyed?”

“That’s not even possible.”

“It is, if we don’t stop it,” Aerith responded. “Fate has a strange way of making itself known to us. You can’t run away from this, Cloud. Not without dooming us all.”

Cloud shuddered at her words, trying his damndest to dismiss them as he left the church without further delay. It just couldn’t be possible. None of that had anything to do with him.

Lots of people were probably trying to change their fate. It could’ve been anyone altering the course of events—not just him and Zack. The fact that the dreams changed when he changed his path…it was just a coincidence.

There was just no way anything he did would be _that_ critical that it would impact the entire Planet.

\-----

It was getting harder and harder to breathe, Zack realized, sitting up in his bed panting as he tried to blink away the memory of that damn lab. His vision was blurry as he did so, wiping at his eyes irritably.

_Tears._

He hadn’t even noticed he’d been crying, maybe because it was so normal now. Every damn night. How was he supposed to get any sleep like this?

Was this what it had been like—was this why his soulmate was trying so damn hard to change how things turned out? A part of him was still pissed, but another part knew that if his soulmate had endured something like this for years…Well, he couldn’t blame the guy for wanting to mix it up.

Why were they in that lab? No matter how many times Zack had that same dream, he couldn’t quite piece it together. It was a ShinRa lab, that much he knew. Not like the ones in the Tower, but he recognized Hojo at some point after one dream too many.

Bastard.

Zack had half a mind to go down there and kill the guy right now, but Sephiroth of all people had held him back last time he got worked up and tried. Something about how there was a better way to deal with that guy. Frankly, he wasn’t so convinced, but for now he’d play along since it seemed like he had a couple years to figure it out at least.

A loud knock at his door distracted him before he could change his mind and plot out a trip down to the labs, and he knew who it was right away. Only Angeal knocked like that, loud yet somehow contained. He hopped out of bed and made his way to the door.

“Zack,” Angeal muttered, looking him up and down. “You look horrible.”

“Wow, thanks, man,” he huffed, feigning offense as best he could. He really wasn’t feeling up to his usual sense of humor right now. “Is that what you stopped by to tell me?”

“No, I just wanted to check in. I haven’t seen you since your last mission.”

“Yeah. I’m fine,” he shrugged. “Mission went okay.”

“It sounds like you had a close call.”

Zack frowned. Maybe he had. “Everything worked out.”

“You don’t have close calls. Not on an op like that.”

“Exactly. So it’s no big deal,” Zack said, gesturing for Angeal to come in because he knew better. Angeal wouldn’t just take his word for it. “I’m fine, Ang.”

“You’re not injured, maybe, but you’re not fine,” Angeal told him firmly. “Did you sleep at all last night?”

Zack raked a hand through his hair, shaking his head slowly. “A little. It’s too much, seeing him like that over and over again.”

Angeal nodded like he understood, and maybe he did. The guy had apparently been watching Sephiroth get cut down for years now before the recent black out dreams, and somehow he’d found a way to live a normal life despite it all.

“Did you notice anything different this time?”

“He’s wearing civilian clothes,” Zack responded thoughtfully. “I don’t get it. Why would Hojo have any interest in a random civilian?”

“He’s not random. Given the fact your dreams seem to be impacting _everyone’s,_ I can think of a few reasons Hojo may take interest if he were to find out,” Angeal answered, and yeah. It just made Zack even more sure he wanted to go down to that damn lab and destroy that man. “Taking Hojo out will only get you in trouble. We have to be strategic.”

“We?”

“We’re in this together,” Angeal insisted, and not for the first time. It wasn’t that Zack didn’t believe the man—hells, there were few people he trusted more. He just couldn’t shake the feeling he was stranded every time he had that damn dream though. “We’ll figure it out, Zack.”

“Did Gen have any luck finding him?”

“No, not yet. The Turks say he’s not in Midgar.”

“That’s a lie, Ang. I know he’s here.”

“How? How do you know?”

“I dunno,” Zack shrugged helplessly. “I can just feel it.”

Like Cloud was hiding right in front of him somehow. How else would they end up in that lab together? He just _had_ to be nearby. Even if his logic made no sense, he could always trust his gut.

“Are you sure we can’t just deal with Hojo now?”

Angeal furrowed his brows, his expression growing more stern by the second as he studied Zack carefully. “I’m taking you off the roster for a few weeks.”

“What the hells? Why?”

“You’re not yourself right now.”

“So what? I can still get my job done.”

“No. I want you to focus right now. Figure out how to get some rest. Spend time with your friends,” Angeal told him, shrugging. “Do whatever it is you need to do, but don’t go anywhere near those labs. Let Sephiroth deal with Hojo.”

“I thought we were in this together.”

“We are. I’m trying to help you, Zack.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

Angeal put two strong hands on Zack’s shoulder, giving him a look that said it all. No matter how stubborn Zack wanted to be about this, Angeal wasn’t going to budge—so he might as well accept it.

He slumped in defeat approximately seven seconds later.

Whatever. If he was going to be off for a while, then he had a wagon to go build.

\-----

Zack looked at his handiwork, impressed with himself for managing to pull this one off. When he’d first suggested making a wagon for Aerith’s flowers, he’d thought it was a good idea, but it was just an impulsive idea he threw out there.

He didn’t expect her to hold him to building it. Then again, the more he knew about her, the more he knew he should’ve known better. In the end, it was worth it as he saw the smile on her face as she loaded it with some freshly picked flowers.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s perfect!” she decided, giving it a quick spin right around where he stood.

 _Good._ At least he succeeded in making someone happy today. “I bet you’ll sell a bunch more now. You’ll be able to cart them all around Midgar now.”

“Are you doing okay?” Aerith asked, already knowing his smile was a bit more strained than usual. She was perceptive like that, even when he didn’t want her to be. “Zack?”

“I just don’t think I can do this anymore,” he sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “I can barely focus lately. I haven’t been sleeping at all.”

“Zack! You know how dangerous that is.”

“I’m trying to, I just…when I lay down, I _can’t.”_

“It’s not healthy. If you don’t like your dreams, you need to do something about it—not make yourself sick.”

“Angeal removed me from the mission roster,” Zack sighed, shaking his head before she could make any comments about how that was a good thing. “Says I can’t help anyone if I can’t help myself.”

“I can’t watch this happen,” Aerith decided, nodding to herself. “Come with me.”

“Uh, what—”

“We’re going to sell some flowers!”

She grabbed his hands before he could object, overlapping one with her own right on the handle of her new wagon. He had no choice but to come along as she began to push it—well, he did, but it wasn’t like he would just rip his hand away from hers without hearing her out.

If she was this determined, there was something to it.

“Where are we going?” he asked, putting his other hand on the handle and helping her push.

“Sector Seven.”

“ _What?”_

“You’re the one who said we could cart this around the whole city if I wanted. I want to start there.”

“Why though? If you wanna make gil, we'd do better in Sector Eight."

“It's not about gil! Maybe I’ll give this batch away to celebrate.”

“Aerith…what’s going on?”

She looked up at him innocently. “Nothing that can’t be considered a coincidence. Fate, maybe.”

“What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Just trust me on this,” she huffed, and he _did_ despite it all.

It would be a distraction, if nothing else. A desperately needed one. “You’re lucky I like you so much,” he teased her, and she just winked at him. “I bet they’ll appreciate the flowers.”

“They will. We’ll brighten a lot of lives while we’re there.”

Zack eyed her suspiciously without voicing his concern. Something about the way she said that had him curious, but he knew better than to ask. She’d just brush him off and tell him he’d see when they got there.

Gaia, he hoped his life would be brightened, too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't promise to update this quickly every time, but I had a couple days off for once so I figured why not? Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was amazing how much a single flower could change things.

Cloud had meant to leave it at Tifa’s door before slipping back to his own apartment next door, but things never seemed to work out how he planned. She must’ve heard him because the door swung open as he stood there, and all he could do was hold it out for her to snatch.

“How sweet. When did _you_ get so thoughtful?” she teased.

“Forget it.”

“No, wait,” Tifa insisted, reaching out for him before he could run off. “Please, stay a minute.”

“Are we talking now?” he wondered, brows furrowed.

“You know it’s not like that. I’m not just ignoring you.”

“Kinda feels that way,” he admitted, shrugging like it wasn’t such a big deal even though it kind of was.

It wasn’t like he was great at making friends, and he _was_ still pretty new to Midgar. It sucked, not having Tifa.

“Is that why you’re giving me this?” she asked slowly. “To make amends?”

“I thought of you when I saw it,” Cloud shrugged, like his very instincts were demanding he get it into the right hands. “It’s no big deal.”

“It is,” Tifa disagreed, studying it carefully with a fond look on her face. “Where’d you get this? I can’t remember the last time I saw a real one.”

“Sector Five. I delivered a package there today.”

“I always pictured her liking flowers—my soulmate,” his friend explained with a soft sigh. “Do you want to come in? I just made some tea.”

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Of course,” Tifa insisted, practically dragging him inside. “Sit down.”

He did as he was told, knowing better than to protest. A hot mug was in his hands before he could blink.

“So,” she started. “How have you been?”

“Same. I got a new job.”

“I heard. It’s nice what you’ve been doing around here—clearing out the monsters. You must be pretty good with that sword now, huh?”

“I guess,” Cloud shrugged. “A year on the road kinda forced me to get better.”

“Right…” Tifa sipped at her own tea, the uncomfortable topic still floating in the air between them. “My dreams. They haven’t changed.”

“Mine neither.”

“I still don’t like it, Cloud. You shouldn’t sacrifice yourself like that.”

“So Zack _should?”_ Cloud countered.

“No, I’m not saying—wait. Zack?” Tifa repeated, brows shooting up. “Did you…?”

“No, I didn’t meet him. I met a friend of his.”

“How are you so sure?”

“I just am,” he said, just like he was sure he had to give that flower to Tifa. “I won’t be going back to Sector Five for a long time.”

“Cloud! You _have_ to! What if you met him and were able to work out a way where you both live?”

“It’s not that simple when fate wants one of us dead, Tifa.”

“Last I checked, you’re too stubborn to just roll over because fate said so. You need to fight. If not for me, then for Zack. He must be a good guy if he takes your place in my dreams. He deserves to be happy, too.”

“Who’s to say I died, anyway? It’s not like we know that just because your dream changed.”

“Cloud…trust me on this. It’s more than him taking your spot, I just know it.”

“Can we just agree to disagree and still be friends?”

Tifa fixed him with a long, hard look before sighing. “I’ll always be your friend, even when you’re being stubborn.”

Cloud sipped at his tea, more relieved than he could bring himself to say. It was nice to have someone here who knew him—who understood at least a little bit about where he was coming from. Hells, he’d go back to Sector Five despite it all just to bring Tifa more flowers if it meant they could have more moments like this.

“So,” Tifa started, raising both brows. “I heard you delivered to Don Corneo the other day.”

“Who told you that?”

“Anonymous source. Rumor is he only allows women inside.”

Cloud groaned. Of _course_ she knew about that. “Teef…”

\-----

Being a delivery man slash local mercenary was actually a very demanding job, and Cloud found himself occupied every damn day with one assignment or another. If nothing else, there was always some new monster that had strolled into the slums that demanded his attention.

He almost forgot all about Aerith and her flowers. It was just the moments when he was alone in his apartment, overcome with the desire to go there—to take her up on her offer to reach out—that he remembered the short time he spent with her.

“What do you think it means—the darkness?” Cloud asked, nudging Tifa the next time they bumped into one another. He was on his way to get his next assignment, venturing a little out of the way to walk with her to the bar.

“In your dream?”

“Yeah. You saw it too, right? While I was traveling?”

“I don’t know,” she responded thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s what it looks like behind their eyes—maybe it means they die peacefully?”

“Don’t most people _see_ that though? From the outside looking in?”

“You and I…it sounds like we’ve never been like most people. Not with the things we’ve seen all these years.”

“I guess.”

“Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking,” he shrugged. “What if it’s a bad thing?”

“It’s just darkness. Why would it be bad?”

“Because what if it meant something more? What if it’s dark because _everything_ goes dark?” Cloud wondered, the nagging thought still on his mind since Aerith had mentioned the idea. “With the whole Planet, I mean.”

“That’s not even possible. You’d see _something_ if the Planet was destroyed.”

“What if it was just that sudden?”

“Then I’d say that’s not a better fate than what we were seeing before."

No, it wasn’t, Cloud agreed silently. It was less gruesome, perhaps, but it was still horrible. It was still untimely. And, more alarmingly, it impacted _everyone—_ not just him. Not just his soulmate.

That wasn’t something Cloud wanted on his conscience. No, if that were the case, then he wouldn’t be sleeping so well after all.

“It’s not like it’s possible,” Tifa told him, like she could read his thoughts. “The entire Lifestream would have to be gone in an instant. Where would it go that quickly?”

“I don’t know, I just—”

They were close enough to Seventh Heaven for Marlene to spot them from the outside steps, and she ran their way before he could finish his thought.

“Tifa, look!” Marlene was beaming, holding up a familiar looking flower in front of Tifa with pride. “Look what I got!”

“Wow, that’s great, Marlene!” Tifa exclaimed, smiling right back down at the little girl. “Where did you—”

Tifa seemed to find the answer to her own question before she could ask it, and Cloud followed her gaze without much thought. There was a wagon nearby—a _flower wagon._ Behind it stood two very familiar faces. One was chatting away with the Sector Seven locals as she handed out flowers with a smile, and the other…

The other was looking right back at him.

“Holy crap,” Tifa muttered, dumbfounded as she stared at the pair behind the flower wagon. “It’s her…”

 _Her…_ Cloud wanted to ask what the hells that meant, but he was too distracted to get the word out.

He was a little younger than Cloud envisioned—his hair a little shorter, and not a single scar marring that perfect face. But there was just no doubt about it.

Fuck. It was really his soulmate.

\-----

Zack was rooted in place when he saw him for the first time—his soulmate. Gaia, he’d never seen Cloud looking quite like this, either. Most his life, he’d envisioned a much older version Cloud, and recently?

Well, his soulmate wasn’t fully intact in his more recent dreams. Checking out his physical appearance had been the very last thing on his mind as he watched in horror while Hojo conducted one test too many.

Fuck. His soulmate was perfect. And he was _running away_ from Zack!

“Whoa, wait up!” Zack shouted when his mind caught back up to reality, weaving through the crowds like he was on a mission. No way was he letting Cloud out of his sight now that they’d finally crossed paths. He’d be damned if he let any harm come to his soulmate. “C’mon, Spike!”

The guy never stood a chance, really. Zack kicked into a whole nother gear before he could stop himself, forgetting that it could be very alarming for civilians when a SOLDIER suddenly took off at full speed. It wasn’t like his soulmate would be scared—not when they were fated to be together.

“Stop,” Cloud said, his voice wavering as he ducked into some rundown alley. It was too late to do that—Zack was already standing in front of him, looking him over in awe. This was real. “Please. You can’t—we _can’t_!”

“Why not?”

“I…” He finally dared to meet Zack’s eyes, and Zack _knew._ The complexity of the emotions he saw there spoke volumes. “I can’t do this.”

“Is it that bad?” Zack asked slowly, reaching out to brush a strand of blond hair out of his soulmate’s eyes before he could stop himself. He forced a smile even as Cloud tried to flinch away from his touch. “C’mon. We’ve got time still, and I don’t wanna waste it.”

“It’s that bad,” Cloud confirmed.

“Yeah? Mine too. I haven’t slept much in weeks. I probl’y look like shit, huh?”

“You don’t. You look…” Cloud looked him up at down, and Zack knew damn well he liked what he saw—even when he schooled his features and shook his head. “What’re your dreams like?”

“They’ve changed recently,” Zack responded, running a hand through his hair. “You really wanna have this talk right now?”

“I can’t see you and not have this talk. Not after all this time. You should stay away from me!”

“Why?” he asked again, shrugging. “It’s not like _you_ get me killed, Cloud. Shit happens.”

“Not like this. You don’t understand.”

“Yeah, I do. And I really don’t feel like starting our lives together off with an argument,” Zack decided firmly. “Let’s go eat or something.”

“You want food _now?”_

“No, but I wanna talk. Not about dying, either. I wanna talk about you—where you’re from. What you’re doing here? I wanna get to know you.”

“That’s only going to make it harder for us to do what we need to do.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don’t wanna live my life without you?”

“Yeah, it did. Every damn night for _years_ when I watched you get gunned down because you were trying to protect me. Did you even think that maybe I don’t wanna live without you either?”

“Cloud…” Zack slumped, not sure how he was supposed to respond. Clearly there was no right answer—not when Cloud was arguing with his future self about a decision he hadn’t even made yet. “None of that’s gonna happen, okay? We’ll figure it out. Together.”

“No. I’ve gotta change my dream again anyway, so I’ll try something else—I’ll move to another Sector, or I’ll try leaving Midgar again. There has to be a way.”

“What if we partnered up? We can mix it up _together,”_ he tried again, only for the blond to send him another incredulous stare. “C’mon! We’re soulmates.”

“You’ve got a hero complex, I can already tell. There’s no scenario where you won’t throw yourself in front of me, even if I’m a complete jackass to you.”

“Shit, Spike. It’s like you’ve known me my whole life,” Zack joked, winking as his soulmate rolled his eyes. Seriously. He _would_ wear this guy down somehow, someway. “No offense, but if you know that about me, then you know I’d take a bullet for anyone. Even a stranger. It’s who I am. Would that make you feel any better about it?”

“Yeah, actually. If you’re gonna get shot, it’d be much better if it weren’t for me.”

Zack folded his arms across his chest. “It’d take more than a bullet to take me down.”

The haunted look on Cloud’s face told him he’d said the wrong thing. That was when he really started to understand how serious this all was for his soulmate. _Shit._ There was only one group with the kind of fire power it would take to gun down a SOLDIER.

ShinRa’s infantry.

“I work for ShinRa,” Zack said, raising a confused brow.

“I know.”

So why…It made no sense. Zack shook his head, deciding quickly that it didn’t _need_ to make sense. It just wasn’t going to happen. Sephiroth would ‘deal’ with Hojo, like Angeal said. And Cloud—he’d stick by Zack’s side until they both dreamed the same dream, somehow or another.

There was only one minor detail stopping this from happening.

Cloud was running from him. Again.

\-----

“Why didn’t you follow him?” Genesis huffed, shooting him a look like it was so obvious.

He wanted to scowl at his friend, but frankly, he was beginning to wonder the exact same thing. It wasn’t fair. Aerith was _still_ holed up in Tifa’s apartment, not leaving even once while _his_ soulmate brought food for the two because apparently he was Tifa’s neighbor. Most soulmates were like that when they met. They'd spend every moment together, getting to know each other and catching up on a lifetime until they really knew each other as intimately as they felt they had all along.

Maybe if he’d been more persistent, he’d be holed up with Cloud, too. Every instinct in his body had been screaming at him as Cloud took off that day, demanding he follow. It was only the knowledge that Cloud undoubtedly felt that same pull and had still decided to run off anyway that kept him rooted in place.

“He didn’t want me to chase him,” Zack sighed, reminding himself just as much as telling Genesis. “I’m not gonna force myself on the guy before he's ready.”

“You can’t just let him go. There’s a bigger picture to consider.”

“I’m not! I’m just giving him space, okay? He needs time to think.”

“How very mature of you.”

“Thank you.”

Genesis tsked. “It wasn’t a compliment.”

“What was I supposed to do? Chase him down and handcuff him to me?”

“Maybe.” Genesis put a hand on his chin and he couldn’t help snorting as his friend thought it over again. “Okay, fine. Perhaps it was best you let him go. How long is enough time?”

“Until he’s ready.”

“That’s not going to work,” Genesis insisted. “It could be too late by then.”

As if he wasn’t antsy enough—he was practically jumping out of his seat every time he thought about Cloud and his big, beautiful blue eyes. He might never be the same again. It was like his very _soul_ had finally understood what it meant to be whole, and there was this void now that he’d never noticed before.

It sucked.

“We’re all on limited time here. You, Angeal—if we’re going to change things, we need to begin now.”

“We could begin with Hojo,” Zack reminded the redhead pointedly.

“Sephiroth refuses to budge when it comes to that man. He wants to deal with it personally, on his own terms.”

“ _When?”_

“When he’s ready,” Genesis sighed, losing some of his steam. “I suppose you could say it’s like you and Cloud right now. The timing isn’t quite right.”

Apparently that guy was a very touchy subject for Sephiroth. Given his own dreams, he could only guess _why—_ what had been done to Sephiroth all those years in the labs?

If it wasn’t time to deal with Hojo, then _something_ needed to be done. He couldn’t just sit by and let things happen, especially when he knew damn well that every single version of the future sucked right now for him and everyone he cared about.

“Screw it,” Zack muttered, hopping to his feet before he could stop himself. He wasn’t going to hold himself back and let _any_ of that shit happen. “I’m going to see him.”

“Why the change in attitude?”

“I don’t have time to drag my feet—not if we can’t even trust ShinRa.”

“Very astute of you,” Genesis nodded in approval. “When did you realize?”

“When Cloud told me in one of his versions of the future, I get gunned down by the damn infantry,” Zack responded shortly, much to Genesis’ surprise. Between that and Hojo, he wasn't sure _what_ to think of the company he worked for anymore. “That’s why he was so set on changing things.”

“And he did.”

“Yeah, except now it’s worse because he gets killed in that stupid lab. _You_ kill Angeal, and then everything goes black for everyone else except for Sephiroth.”

At least that’s what it seemed to be, based on their dreams. He was beginning to think the darkness from all those dreams was something way worse than just a lapse in the fates.

This wasn’t the time to sit on his hands. Cloud would get over it eventually—they were soulmates, after all.


End file.
